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Robert Donnell Bone (1832-1892) was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, and came to Nacogdoches County in 1841 with his mother and stepfather. He and his brothers and sister moved in with his older sister when she married John Winstead Paine in 1846. After a serious illness of pneumonia, R. D. Bone rode horseback to Tennessee and entered the University at Nashville Medical School (which later became Vanderbilt University) in 1854 and returned to Douglass, Texas, to practice medicine after graduating in 1858. That same year he married Griselda Minerva Burk (1841-1912) who was also from Tennessee and had moved to Nacogdoches County, Texas, with her family in 1848. On November 25, 1861, Dr. Bone was appointed to serve as Assistant Surgeon of the 12th Texas Volunteer Infantry, Col. Overton Young's Regiment at Camp Hebert, Hempstead, Austin County, Texas. He felt it was his duty to serve the cause of the Confederacy and eagerly attended his post. As revealed in the following letters exchanged with his wife while on active duty in the Civil War, it soon became clear that he would have to contend with inadequate provisions, boring camp routine and confusing orders. "The Fever", dysentery, measles and exposure were Dr. Bone's patients' main medical problems; his regiment was not involved in any serious fighting. When he resigned his commission on March 7, 1863, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he went back to Douglass, Texas, to practice medicine. Dr. Bone also bought cotton and cattle and took them to New Orleans each fall to be sold. Minerva was Post Mistress in Douglass from 1866-1867. Only six of the Bone's 12 children reached adulthood, and two of their sons graduated from the University at Nashville Medical School exactly 50 years after Dr. Bone did. At least eight of his descendants have followed him in serving the medical profession. (Aiken, Roy L. (Pete). "Bone Family." In Nacogdoches County Families, 172. Dallas, Tx.: Curtis Media Corporation, 1985.)

Scope and Content Note

Included in the collection of letters between Dr. Bone and Minerva are letters to the Bones from family and friends, report forms from the post office at Douglass, and two poems (probably written by Dr. Bone). Typescripts for most of the papers in the collection are in a booklet in Box 2. Several 19th century newspapers belonging to Dr. Bone are cataloged and shelved with the newspaper bundles.

State of Texas Nacogdoches Co. March the 16th, 1862 Dear Husband, I received your letter this evening dated the 11th, which gave me great satisfaction, but sorry to hear of so much sickness there. I want you to take good care of yourself and don’t get sick if you can help it, and don’t get out of heart, for that is a bad plan. Jim Paine brought your letter to me; he is to start back next Tuesday or Wednesday. I went to Douglass with Jim and Francis last Monday, and went down to Ma’s and stayed all night, then came back to Sam’s and helped them to weave [for] two days. I expect Jim can tell you more than I can write. I saw White’s Company sworn in. Foster and George were in the Company. Oh, honey, you don’t know how bad I felt to see them fixing to leave their wives and little sweet children, they were there to see them. It looks hard to see them go off and leave their dear little ones. I feel so sorry for them all, for I know something about it. It made me think of our separation, and that was hard, you know. If you don’t think so, I do, but I think you would say yes, so it does me just as well, for I have all the confidence in the world in you, for you have been as true to me as man could be to a women. I think so. When you go to read this side read the next side first. I made a mistake. There were five Negroes hung at Carthage the other day, and one at Rusk or somewhere up that way. The five were about to kill their white family, I don’t know what the other one did. I have not got any jeans now, but one pair of pants, and that is yours. I have got in my blankets now, [I] wove over two yards since dinner today. Don’t go in debt any more than you can help. I hear no word about you going to draw any money, I am afraid that you won’t draw at all, but don’t get out of heart. If the good Lord will only spare us for each other we will be happy anyhow. Honey, I want to see you so bad I think sometimes I can’t stand it, and then sometimes I do very well. Honey, pray and pray for me and our little boys. I want you to do for the best. Think [of] Ma and our little boys. I want you [to] write often as you can, and I will do the same. I hope and pray that the good Lord will give us health and spare us until we meet again. May God bless you my Dear husband. Goodbye, my Dear G. M. Bone This is Monday morning; I am up but feel bad. Watson is well and hearty, and grows fast. He says he love his Pa and Ma and his little brother. Winsted grows fast, he can almost sit alone. He can laugh and jabber a right smart. He is a pretty little boy, his eyes are better; one of them is sore a little this morning. I think they will get well when warm weather comes. I am sorry to hear about Pilot getting away. I am afraid that you will never get him again, he has not come back here as I know of. I hear that Uncle John Lucas is going out to where you are. If you do go anywhere east come by home and see us, if you can, for you don’t know how bad I want to see you. Times are getting worse here. I am afraid that Pa and Sam will have to go if they keep calling for more men. The men are going from every direction here now. I am afraid the worst ain’t here yet. I hear that the Northerners have taken Memphis, in Tennessee. This is the third letter I have written you, I don’t know why you have not gotten my letters. Honey, we have got two pretty little boys. To me, it looks like they are sweeter when you are gone than any other time. I kiss them for you

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